Your startup is a business before it’s a brand

As big brands roll out their Ramadan marketing campaigns, many startups feel the need to do the same to stay competitive. They assume that success comes from name recognition —something established brands have built over years of heavy marketing spend.

The truth? You are at a stage in your journey where you don't need to behave like a brand , and that’s OK.

• 77%of CMOs believe their brands highly differentiated, but only 7% of consumers agree (Havas Group, 2024).

• Only5% of consumers say brand values influence their purchase, while 65% prioritize price, convenience, and product quality (Kantar, 2024).

The rapid adoption of AI now makes it easier for startups to behave in the same way as any big brand - so instead of competing with big brands, startups should focus on being relevant, andgetting in front of the right audience at the right time.

The Platformance Ramadan Play book outlines a simple but powerful approach.

1. You Are Not a Brand—You Are a Solution

Big brands focus on long-term awareness. Startups don’t have that luxury. Consumers don’t care about your logo, they care about solving a need.

Rather than trying to be memorable, focus on being available, relevant, and useful. The startups that win duringRamadan are those that show up at the right time, not the ones that spend the most on advertising.

2. You Don’t Need to Compete With Brands—You Need to Be Relevant

Big brands dominate ad space during Ramadan, but that doesn’t mean they dominate consumer attention. Relevance beats recognition.

•  A Google& BCG study found that consumers are twice as likely to engage with personalised, relevant ads than with general brand-building campaigns.

•  Instead of spending on brand awareness, invest in being visible at the right moments, pre-iftar, late at night, or when your audience is actively searching.

3. Instead of Building a Brand, Drive Demand

Most businesses only focus on conversions, but without generating demand, acquisition costs rise. Instead, follow the Generate,Nurture, Convert Demand framework:

• Generate Demand– Introduce your business to new audiences (use influencers, community-driven campaigns, and WhatsApp groups).

• NurtureDemand – Keep your business top of mind (focus on frequency over reach, retarget interested users).

• ConvertDemand – Close high-intent users when they are ready (offer fast checkout, flexible payments, andRamadan-specific incentives).

4. The Ramadan Advantage: Why This Works Now

Ramadan is a time when consumers are:

•  More active online, but at different times(late night, pre-iftar).

•  More willing to try new brands if they meet a current need.

•  Looking for deals, but not just discounts; convenience, flexibility, and speed matter more.

Big brands focus on mass visibility. Startup scan win by being relevant.

Final Thought: Winning Without a Big Budget

Ramadan is not about who spends the most—it’s about who is most relevant.

•  You don’t need to build a brand, you need to generate demand.

•   You don’t need mass awareness, you need frequencywith the right audience.

•   You don’t need big-budget ads, you need to be in theright place, at the right time, with the right message and often.

Startups that execute this approach spendless, engage more, and win bigger during Ramadan.

For access to the full insights, reach out to Platformance for the complete Ramadan Playbook.